ince the initial news that Microsoft bought FASA, many gamers got excited at the idea of a new Shadowrun game. After a few years of silence from the company, we finally have our new title in the form of the first cross-platform FPS for the Xbox 360 and PC. We spent a solid week with the Xbox 360 version’s beta and got a good grasp on what Microsoft has in store for gamers. But is it really Shadowrun?

Many people, including myself, have been on an emotional rollercoaster with Shadowrun. With very fond memories of both games from the 16-bit era in hand, everyone naturally assumed we would see another RPG. Shadowrun, after all, started out as a pen and paper RPG where Shadowrunners did various missions like hacking and corporate espionage. As the excitement built, we found out that it was not to be an RPG, but a multiplayer-only shooter with no single player at all. After the initial shock wore off, most people seemed to be getting genuinely excited for FASA’s new title.

In the beta, we had the chance to play the Raid and Extraction game types. Raid is basically an attack and defend mode. The attacking team’s goal is to snag a totem and bring it to the drop point. In Extraction, both teams bum rush a totem in the center of the level in hopes of bringing it back to their respective drop point. There is a third type called Attrition (deathmatch), but it wasn’t playable. Both game types we played were fun, but the totem locations and drop points never changed, so it became predictable quite quickly. There were entire sections of the two playable levels that served little to no purpose during actual gameplay. Randomizing the totem locations would really help spice up the overall game play for both match types.

Future Fly Swatting

Blasting your buddies requires good hardware, and Shadowrun definitely has a few cool tools for the job. There are seven weapons to choose from, plus every player starts with the basic pistol—giving a grand total of eight. From there, you spend money much like Counter-Strike to buy new gear. You earn money by playing well in a match, allowing you to upgrade after each round. Weapon wise, you can purchase an SMG, Rifle, Shotgun, Katana, Minigun, Sniper Rifle and the FPS favorite, Rocket Launcher. Beyond the firepower, FASA brings in the Shadowrun-famous magic and technology combos. Tech upgrades can also be bought that will enhance aim with the Smartlink, see through walls with Enhanced Vision or even fly for short periods of time with the Glider. The magic side has some pretty neat spells like the Tree of Life, which grows a tree that will heal players regardless of team. Another strong spell is Teleport, which allows you to move in any direction about 15 feet instantly through floors, walls and more. Magic and tech cost essence, which is a bar on the left side of the HUD. Some things are active and need to recharge, and others are passive or “always on.” The coolest part of magic and tech is the ability to create combos. One could buy the Glider and Teleport and then teleport through a third-story wall and glide down outside to safety.

Graphically, Shadowrun is quite pretty, and filled with next-gen effects. Metal shines, light blooms and shadows are cast. One of the levels we played was set during the next-gen friendly time of the sun setting, allowing a nice amber tone to wash over everything. Player models look a bit glossy, but it’s nothing anyone will really notice during the chaos. The sound also works out quite well and playing on a 5.1 system will give you an edge, because you will easily hear the chatter of an enemy’s gun behind you.

Mafia Name: Wings

Although the game is still in beta and still in development, there are a few things we hope will get cleaned up from now until release. Although the textures are nothing to cry about, they don’t look quite as good as one would hope on the Xbox 360. When a player climbs a ladder, he just floats up or down with no animations at all. This doesn’t hurt actual gameplay, but it just seems like a standard by now. Lastly, firing weapons isn’t all too exciting. Maybe adding a little more pizzazz with effects could make the experience more thrilling. After all, the core gameplay for Shadowrun is shooting things.

When it all boils down to it, Shadowrun’s core game play is very fun. This is one of those games that you and a bunch of your buddies will have a blast just shooting each other in the face with. Fans of the genre will enjoy the game but fans of the series may be a bit disappointed because there are no single-player elements. A big part of the Shadowrun world is the dirty, grimy feel that was created by the giant corporations. And where the hell is the hacking? We need some time in the Matrix. While it’s fun to grab artifacts for the sake of the corporation, it’s hard not to question the games overall longevity at this point. One thing is for sure—shooting SMGs and launching rockets will never get old, but it’s just not the way of a Shadowrunner.